As much as people complain about how different each generation is, they all go through the same phases. As generations grow older, they find themselves interested in the same things as their parents were – for millennials, this means leaving the big city and moving to the suburbs, where they can raise a family. (And most of them can’t afford a newly built house, so they will probably need your help with painting.)
Even though generations end up valuing the same things, however, they don’t live life in the same ways. Most importantly for businesses, generations don’t get their information and entertainment in the same ways. The best way to reach people is to advertise to them, but you can’t market to people unless you can reach them. Here’s how to reach each generation needing home painting services.
Baby Boomers
People born in the mid-40s to the mid-60s made it all the way through college without having to use a computer. They were advanced in their career before the internet or smartphones were required to be successful. As a result, most baby boomers don’t rely on the internet for most of their information. Many Boomers like to communicate via phone or email instead of text messaging or social media. They respond to traditional media such as mailers and television or radio ads, and respond well to discounts. Internet advertising is less effective for most boomers.
Generation X
Generation X are those born from the mid-60s to the early 80s. This generation was exposed to technology earlier in their careers, but spent more of their formative years without the internet, which wasn’t widely available until the late 90s.
The good news is that this group can be reached either through new or traditional media – although internet advertising is more efficient, they also watch TV and respond to mailers. The bad news is that this group was exposed to so much marketing during their lives that they became very cynical and distrusting of it. The more “sales-y” your marketing is, the less effective it will be.
Millennials
Millennials were born from the early 80s to the early 2000s. For many of them, the internet has been their main source of information and entertainment for their entire lives. Most have been using social media since they were old enough to drive, and they use it regularly. Traditional media like TV and radio aren’t effective for this group, because they don’t use them – even if they watch TV shows, they’re more likely to stream them over the internet than to tune in when the show first airs.
Like all generations when they were young, they are also more idealistic than older people. They want to support responsible businesses who help their employees and contribute to their community. They won’t do business with people they think are uncaring of their employees or their community, even if it will save them money. To attract Millennials, be honest, be positive, and most of all, you need to be marketing your services online.
To learn how ProPainter Websites can help you get more painting leads, call us at 855-385-1134 or email us at Team_PPW@ProPainterWebsites.com.